San Diego Padres: Still in on Eric Hosmer?
By Jason Evans
The San Diego Padres are still engaged in talks with free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer. Can they reel the big free agent fish in?
The San Diego Padres are a couple of years away from their top prospects making a significant impact at the major league level. When those guys get there, it’ll help to have a veteran who’s been there and done that a face of the franchise kind of player. The club gave Wil Myers a big extension before last year, but are still looking at someone who would move Myers back into the outfield in Eric Hosmer. Yes, still.
"But with baseball’s preseason just about underway, both teams have made efforts to end an impasse. The Padres have engaged in regular dialogue with Hosmer’s agent, Scott Boras, over the last several days, sources told The Athletic. This followed a period in which neither side seemed to feel much urgency. The Royals, meanwhile, have continued their quest to retain a homegrown star. In a radio interview last Monday, general manager Dayton Moore said he’d had “a lot of discussion” with Hosmer’s camp over the previous week. Sources say Kansas City has kept in contact with the free agent."
At some point, whether it’s this week, or next week or March 1, Hosmer will pick either the Padres or Royals, unless a team suffers a catastrophic injury at first and goes back in for Hosmer.
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The move of Myers to left would give the Padres an outfield of Myers, Manuel Margot, and Hunter Renfroe. That would move Jose Pirela to a super utility role where he could play anywhere, and possibly even win the job outright at second.
The Padres payroll is around $70 million right now, so even a move for Hosmer won’t bust their budget. It could be akin to the Washington Nationals signing Jayson Werth signing a seven-year contract before the 2011 season. That veteran presence who’s won before coming in right before all the kids come up, and the team gets good.
If I’m Hosmer, I may go to the Padres, who are closer at this point than the Royals are after losing Lorenzo Cain and with Mike Moustakas still sitting in free agency.
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The ball seems to be in Hosmer’s court. If he wants eight or nine years, he may have to realize that’s not there for him, even at age 28. Whether it’s the San DiegoPadres or Kansas CityRoyals, he’ll be the face of the franchise. He just has to decide which franchise at this point.